


Easy Living

by hops



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Retail, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-11-08 17:04:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11086059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hops/pseuds/hops
Summary: A modren AU for the modren era.(Or, the one in which a bunch of unlikely friends hang out and live the normal lives they didn't get to in canon.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all! This is my first time writing anything for TAZ so go easy on me. I'm rusty.  
> This is just a lil goofy modern AU but I wanted to share because I'm very excited about it. More characters will be coming soon, but I want them all to have their proper introduction. So, in the meantime, enjoy the humble beginnings!  
> Let me know what you think! And hit me up on tumblr @maegnus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus sees some dogs. Julia brings the caffeine. Lucretia works on her manuscript.

Magnus woke to the sound of his alarm, 7:00 sharp, rolling over with a groan to snatch his phone from his nightstand and hit "snooze." After difting between waking and sleeping for a few minutes, another louder alarm forced him out of his comfort and into his work day. He rolled out of bed, taking his sheets with him, and slid his feet into his bear claw slippers. It wasn't that Magnus dreaded work; he loved his carpentry shop and the clients (who, he almost always tended to befriend) he did work for. It was more the action of leaving his bed in and of itself that was the hardest part of his day. After all, who could say no to laying around in boxers surrounded by half a dozen pillows?

"Good morning, Steven," he greeted his goldfish with a yawn, scratching his bare stomach. He not quite as trim as it had been in his early twenties. He could chalk that up to all the light beer he'd taken to drinking during the week. He sprinkled the fish food into Steven's tank with some flair, which the fish (which had grown quite large since he had acquired him last summer) chomped down happily at the surface of the tank. "That's my big man. Chow down."

Magnus had won Steven at the town's annual summer carnival, where he had encountered a man running a fishbowl toss stand full of, in Magnus' eyes, miserable looking goldfish. He spent nearly $20 trying to win just one, just to get him into a better home. Despite the stand-runner's judgemental laughter, Magnus had walked away with a smile, and spent the rest of the year taking care of the fish as if it were his own flesh. Steven now resided in a 20-gallon tank with all the plants, shelter, and food he could ever want for.  
Magnus' commitment to his goldfish could, of course, be attributed to the fact that he was an animal lover. However, his landlord also would not let him get a dog. So, Steven it was, for the time being.

Magnus dressed and made himself breakfast in a whirl: egg whites, toast, too much bacon, and a cup of coffee from his oversized mug with what other might claim to be a bit too much cream and sugar. After this, he felt prepared for the long day of carpentry ahead of him.  
He headed downstairs and walked the short two blocks from his apartment to the shop. Most of the town was still getting ready for their day, most of the shops closed and dark. Magnus liked to be up early to get a jump start on his workload. He smiled as he unlocked the shop with a glance in the direction of the dog grooming salon next door. Seeing the pups in the window on his lunch break was always a highlight of even the toughest work days.

The morning consisted of working away at a dining room set commissioned as a 50th wedding anniversary gift for an older couple in the town by their children. Magnus was glad for the work; he'd fetch a mean paycheck for the set, and it felt good that it would also be going to what he knew to be a good home. The morning went by quickly as he carved away at the legs of the chairs on the lathe. Once he hunkered himself down into a rhythm of work for the day, he was in his happy place. He worked uninterrupted for the majority of the morning as the rest of the business-owners along the main street of town got their days started as well.

Like clockwork, the bell above the door rang sweetly at 9:50, followed by the faint smell of lavender and coffee.

"Good morning, Mr. Burnsides," a quiet voice smiled as he looked up.

He swallowed, taking in the pleasant sight before him. Julia, who owned and operated the dog grooming salon next door, stood with two cups of coffee in her hands. She placed one down on the work table beside her. "Hi, Julia," he said, feeling just a little blush rising in his cheeks. "Thanks for the coffee."

"It's no trouble. How's the set going?"

Every day it felt a little harder to keep his tiny crush on the dog groomer a secret. He instead opted to look down at the half-built chair before him. "Oh, y'know, just, uh, chippin' away at it. I should have at least some of the chairs done by closing time."

He could feel her smile; he didn't even have to look. "That's great!" She exclaimed, taking a small sip of her coffee after. "It looks amazing so far."

"You're going to make me blush." He couldn't help the laugh that came rising from his gut. She made him feel like a million bucks every time she came in, and she didn't have to do a damn thing to do so. Her presence was enough.

She smirked, meeting his eyes. "Well, pink looks good on you anyway, Magnus." A short and sweet pause passed between them before she sighed and made a turn for the door. "Well, I'm off to see some pups. I've got a Bernese coming in around one o'clock, if you want to stop by."

"Yes!" He exclaimed with a grin. Julia knew his affinity for dogs, especially the big and fluffy kind, very well. "Of course I'll stop in."

"See ya then!" She called over her shoulder, carrying her perfume and her coffee with her as the bell rang and left him to the quiet of the shop once more. He sighed and slumped forward against the workbench before him, running a hand through his hair in mild frustration. He always felt a little too obvious around Julia. He was never quite the smooth type.

He resumed work on his chairs, managing to get one completely assembled before his lunch break. He still had much left to do, but the accomplishment that came with finishing the one task was satisfying enough to boost his mood. He had long finished the coffee that Julia had brought him, (a latte with caramel, his favorite) and found himself wanting yet another cup.

"Maybe I should cool it with the caffeine," he murmured to himself. He knew full-well that he had a bit of a problem, but didn't have any real intention to stop. Especially not if it meant an excuse to stop by the salon, or for Julia to stop in and bring him a cup.

Lunchtime came around and he put up the break sign on the door of the shop, locking up for the time being while he headed over to the café for a sandwich and, naturally, more coffee. As he walked in to the quiet wooden interior filled with paintings from the local artists who frequented the spot, he was greeted with the smell of fresh muffins and a grin from his favorite barista.

"Magnus! The usual?"

Magnus put his hands down on the counter and smiled. "Avi, my man. You know it."

As Avi went to make his coffee, Magnus turned and surveyed the room. The café was usually quiet at midday, but today found the small shop to be a little more hustle-and-bustle than usual. In the corner, faithfully, sat a woman of about the same age with her laptop. Her dark skin was accented with a shock of silver hair atop her head, which bowed into the screen of her computer as she glared too-closely at the words of her manuscript.

"Here's your coffee!" Avi returned and handed the cup to Magnus.

"Thanks man," Magnus said, dropping two dollars in the tip jar for his friend. He crossed the café and took a seat across from the writer at her table.

"Hey, Lucretia. How's the novel coming along?"

She sighed and offered a wry smile, leaning back in her chair. "Oh, it's... coming along, I suppose."

"Need some inspiration? You could come say hi to the dogs with me."

"It's a lucrative offer, Magnus," she smiled again. "I've just got too much to do today. Deadlines."

He nodded, his mouth pressed into a serious line. "I understand. Can I get you anything?"

"That's sweet. No, I'm fine, but thank you. But if you come by on Thursday I'll have everything finished and I'll be able to be a more gracious table host."

He rose from his seat at the table, taking his coffee with him. "I'll catch you Thursday, then. Good luck with your writing!"

He grabbed his sandwich from Avi on his way out the door and stuck it in his mouth with a hasty wave goodbye to both Lucretia and the barista. He crossed the street and entered the grooming salon, only half-finished with his sandwich, and greeted his friend once more.

Before he could even get a word out to Julia, he took in the sight of the large Bernese Mountian Dog on the table behind the counter at the entrance of the store. "Oh my god," he said, starry-eyed at the beautiful pup. "Look at this big guy!!"

"This is Moose," Julia said, lifting up the counter for Magnus to come around back to say hello. "Hey buddy!"

"Oh my god, he is perfect," Magnus beamed. He scratched the dog behind his ears and under his chin before vigorously rubbing his back. "I want ten."

Julia giggled. "We'll have to work on that landlord of yours, then."

"I keep trying!"

Magnus spent some time with the Bernese for a while longer before Julia took him back to see the other three dogs that had been groomed and were waiting to be picked up. "Wow, look you!" He gasped to the small dog before him, kneeling down to say hello. "So handsome!" He glanced up at Julia. "You do excellent work."  
It was her turn to blush. "Thank you, Magnus."

"You're welcome."

When his break was over, Magnus headed back next door to the shop and unlocked the door once more, smiling to himself about the dogs, and about Julia. "Easy livin'," he sighed aloud to himself, tossing his keys on the bench before resuming his position at the lythe, hunkering down for the rest of his workday.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako gets fashionable. Barry makes some cookies. Lup has a crush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was gonna wait to post this but I figure you guys were so nice with your feedback and all that I'd give you some more. Thanks for showing interest! Comments make my heart sing. 
> 
> As a warning there is a drug mention (marijuana) in this chapter, and there will be from time to time in this story lol. But I figure if you're a fan of the McElroys you probably don't mind that anyway?

The consignment shop was quiet for a Tuesday despite the yellow and pink signs on the front window that blared "30% off Everything!*" (With a small "*Except blue and green tagged items" in the fine print below). Lup put her elbows on the glass counter of the jewelry case and gazed down at the glimmering rhinestones and costume jewelry below. With a sigh, she looked up at Taako, who had just stepped out of the dressing room across from the counter and was now admiring himself in the floor length fully-lit mirror before him. The thigh-high studded leather boots he had on ended just below the pleated mini-skirt he was patting down. He twirled around and stopped on his heel expertly, looking to his twin for an opinion.  

"Soooo?" He started with an expectant grin. "What do we think?"  

"The boots are too tall. I wish they were knee-high." Lup nodded. "I like the skirt, though."  

"Hmm. Yeah, I think it needs more thigh action." He dipped back into the dressing room and closed the door with a slam and a dramatic sigh. 

Lup laughed. The two of them had been employed at the consignment shop, Alignments, since high school. It had ended up helping them begin their (specifically Taako's) fashion blogging careers. With their employee discount, they built a wardrobe that hoards of teen and twenty-something viewers fawned over. Many of their staple pieces were modified from designer or vintage clothing, making their look truly one (or two) of a kind. After some time, they added makeup and lifestyle advice to their repertoire, and eventually gained a kind of recognition within their fashionable-but-sensible corner of the internet.  

Lup greeted two customers who came in and made a beeline for the rack of dresses at the back of the shop. Taako came back out of the dressing room like clockwork, this time in a floor-length, spaghetti-strapped, pale pink, silken gown. A wide-rimmed black hat flopped on either side of his face, contrasting against his blonde locks.  

"Yes? I'm thinking yes." He admired himself in the mirror, tying his hair into a braid under the brim of the hat as Lup watched on.  

"I'm into it. Very 90's red carpet."  

He turned, sculpted eyebrows raised. "That's what I was thinking! It's very--" 

"Halle Berry!" they exclaimed in unison. Lup laughed, the sound carrying all through the store. 

"Do you still have that black crushed velvet cape?" 

Lup's eyes lit up. "Ooh, you're so right. Yeah, I do somewhere, I'll find it."  

"Hell yeah!" Taako disappeared into the dressing room once again.  

Lup put on a pair of star-shaped sunglasses and grinned at herself in the mirror. She gazed out across the street, trying to see in the door of their rival thrift store, Wonderland. Everything Taako and Lup did, the employees of Wonderland tried to do better (key word: tried.) Edward and Lydia, coincidentally another pair of fashion-minded twins, had been long-standing "rivals" of Alignment's duo. Alignments always came out on top in profits and reviews, but Wonderland tended to get a younger and more hip crowd, concerned more with couture and brand names than finding unique items for a wardrobe. The rumor around town that Alignments' loyal customers came in to report was that Edward and Lydia were salespeople of a pushy variety. It seemed that nobody could leave Wonderland without buying something because of the employees' don't-take-no-for-an-answer attitudes. Alignments had a much more laid-back atmosphere, and a couple of funny and fashionable bloggers running the show, to boot. Lup and Taako were always offering advice and making outfits for customers on the spot. Their work brought them joy, and a lot of good fashion sense.  

In addition to working at Alignments, Lup had a tattoo apprenticeship a town over. Body art had always been her dream, from the time she'd begun giving herself and her brother stick-and-poke tattoos in their teens. Her ears had long been gauged and pierced wherever she could find space to put a needle, along with her nose, brow, and bottom lip. Of course, there were a few others, but those were the ones in visible territory. She was in the process of covering her body in ink, some from her own hand and others from the artists at the shop that had taken her on as an apprentice.  

Taako didn't have quite so many body modifications, but he enjoyed the ones he had, mostly because having a sister in the field meant getting most of them for free. Or, for the price of buying groceries that week. Lup's how-to video on their channel where she gave Taako a particularly painful stick-and-poke was one of their most successful; most likely because it caught on as comic relief, Taako yelping and cursing from time to time about the agony, how it's just not worth the pain, and then glowering at the end result. At the end of the video on the shot where it's all healed up, he is back to his aloof and happy demeanor, saying that it was nothing and he'd do it all again no problem. Lup had laughed through the entire editing process.  

The two customers came up to the dressing room with an armful of clothes each and Taako let them into the empty stalls, now dressed in a neon crop-top and high-waisted jean shorts. Lup made a mildly disgusted noise, catching her brother's attention.  

"What? Is that a no?"  

She laughed, putting a hand over her eyes as if to shield herself from too much sunlight. "It's too bright, it's like the sun! I can't even look at it!"   

Taako pouted. "Aw, I thought it was cute!"  

"The cut is nice, and I like the shorts a lot. But neon isn't your jam, dude."  

"Fair," Taako sighed, glancing at the door as another customer walked in. "Oh, right on time! Barry, my man!"  

Dressed in his usual white t-shirt and denim came the twins' friend, and coincidentally also their drug dealer, Barry Bluejeans. "What's up, guys?" He stopped at the counter, glancing up at Lup who stood above him in her wedges, and peered at him through her star-shaped sunglasses. "Hey, Lup."  

"How's it going?"  

Barry smiled a little. "Oh, it's good. Ya know, just popping in to see Taako before--" 

Taako clapped Barry on the back, also taller than the comparatively plain young man while he had his heels on. "You got the stuff, my dude?"  

Lup scowled, knowing full well that Barry was dropping off Taako's weed. "Really? At work?"  

"What! The boss isn't here, Lulu! We're practically co-owners at this point."  

Barry laughed, looking a little uncomfortable. "Yeah, well, if you get in trouble, this didn't come from me." He handed Taako the paper bag in his hand. "There's some cookies in there that I made, too. Just plain cookies, not... y'know."  

"Sweet deal!" Taako reached in and immediately began chowing down on a chocolate chip. He spoke with a mouthful of crumbs. "Why are you working at the GAP when you could be baking these cookies for a living, Barry?"  

"Give me one," Lup said, reaching over the counter for her share of the cookies. Differing from her brother, she actually finished her cookie before speaking again. "Woah, these are amazing! I'd pay you to just make these and bring 'em here!"  

Barry's cheeks were nearly as bright as Taako's neon top. "Uh, thanks guys. That's real nice of you to say. It's just a hobby of mine I guess."  

"Well, you're damn good at it. Listen, are you going to the gym tonight? I was thinking about going but Lup's got her apprenticeship and I don't feel like going alone."  

"Sure, I'll go. I'll meet you at seven?" 

Taako glanced over at the customers who were approaching the register to be rang out. "Sure thing, my man! I'll see you then!" he called over his shoulder as he walked away.  

Barry sighed, still blushing a little. "Alright, I gotta go, but I'll see you around, Lup."  

She smiled from behind her shades as he turned to walk out the door. "Thanks for the cookies!"  

Lup turned to the wall of purses and boots behind her and began to organize, half the cookie still between her teeth as she did so. She couldn't help but feel, perhaps in a bit of self-flattery, that Barry had a crush on her. It's not that she wasn't interested in him particularly, but she'd had her eyes on someone else for quite some time. 

 There was a woman, maybe a few years older than she was, who spent a lot of time in the coffee shop on the other side of town. Lup didn't drink coffee, but Taako liked his fancy 12-ingredient latte, so on days where she'd been feeling particularly kind she would make the trip just for him and get herself a frosty soda and a muffin. On one of these outings, the writer caught her eye. Her silver curls atop her head peeked out from behind a laptop screen, where she worked half-hunched with her face just a little too close to the screen. Lup had stopped mid-order when she'd caught sight of her. Avi had waited patiently for Lup to return to her sentence upon snapping out of her trance.  

"Her name is Lucretia," Avi smiled knowingly, making her change. Lup had never heard a prettier name.  

Lup decided to play dumb with the barista. "Oh, I was just, um, looking at the new art."  

Avi laughed. "It's the same art that's been here for months, Lup. It's the customer that's new."  

Lup blushed. "Don't say anything or I'll fuck up your next tattoo."  

"Barista's honor."  

"Avi, never say that again."  

Lup brought herself back to the consignment shop with a small laugh as the customers left and Taako returned to the counter for his paper bag. "Head's in the clouds today, huh Lu? Gonna go to the coffee shop on your break again?"  

"Shut the fuck up!" she nearly yelped, smacking him on his neon-covered shoulder. "I go there to be a good sister, not to... do whatever it is you think I'm doing."  

"What a triangle, Barry's got a crush on you, you've got a crush on a complete stranger, and--"  

She hopped over the counter and strode past him in her wedges, just slightly taller than him. "Shut up. That's nonsense. And it's not even a triangle, that’s not how shapes work."  

Taako grinned, starting to organize some shirts on a nearby rack. "I'll write down my order for when you go." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special shoutout to Kato (lesbianlaracrovt on tumblr) for being a huge help with this AU! Especially for all the inspiration on this chapter, for the punny name "Alignments" (a DND joke AND it rhymes with consignments? GOD) and for bringing Edward and Lydia into the picture. You're the best Katooooo


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus gets his coach on. Angus introduces a friend. Taako gives some unsolicited gym advice.

 

After he had finished off some more work on the dining room set and closed up the shop for the night, Magnus headed home for dinner. He proceeded with his evening rituals: waving to Julia through the salon window, walking his two blocks home, and tossing something quick and usually frozen in the oven for dinner. He changed into his gym clothes, but he wasn't headed to the gym quite yet. First, he had practice.  

Magnus wasn't on any sports teams; he hadn't been since high school. However, he had taken up coaching little league after the town had come into a shortage of willing adults to do the job. The pay was next to nothing and he wasn't the best with kids, but he found the time he spent coaching rewarding, and the kids loved him, to boot. They were the significantly younger siblings he'd never had growing up.  

After finishing off his mediocre chicken fingers and fries, he drove across town the baseball field to set up for practice. One of his players was already there, waiting on the bench in the dugout.  

Magnus tossed his bat bag and a the helmets he was carrying to the ground. "Angus! You're early. How was school, buddy?"  

Angus smiled. "Good sir! I had a math test and I think I got all the questions right!"  

Magnus scratched his head. "You know, you really don't have to call me 'sir.' You could just call me 'coach,' or 'Magnus' works too."  

"Okay sir!"  

Magnus laughed and clapped the small boy on the shoulder. "Good job on your test. I'm sure you got an A-plus."  

Angus helped Magnus bring the rest of the practice supplies into the dugout, along with a few Gatorades and granola bars he always brought along in case any of the kids hadn't eaten, or weren't feeling well that day. Magnus walked the field and plopped the bases down in their respective spots as the rest of the team trickled in. He could hear them talking excitedly to each other about school, baseball, and the various other things that got kids riled up. He smiled to himself as he approached the dugout, reaching for the spot on the fence where he had hung his hat while setting up. He pulled it on backwards and looked to his team, who fell silent as he addressed them.  

"Alright everyone. We've got our first big game of the summer season this weekend. How's everyone feeling?"  

"Nervous!" A small voice called from the far end of the bench.  

Magnus looked over to the girl, who sat with both hands folded in her big glove. "Now, June. It's okay to be nervous, but we got this! We just gotta practice hard, and play hard. Ango, how you feeling?"  

Angus peered up from the other side of the fence through his glasses. "I'm nervous too, sir!"  

"Hey, that’s okay! We're nervous. It's cool. The important part is, we're gonna have fun. That's what we're all here to do, right?"  

"Right!" The team answered in unison.  

"Alright, then let's start with 2 laps of the field! Go go go!"  

Half the team cheered and the other groaned in unison. Magnus, being the coach that he was, joined them for the jog and shouted words of encouragement as the team giggled their way around the field. Towards the end of the run, he hung back with the slower runners, keeping pace with them to make sure they didn't feel left out or disappointed.  

After a warm up, there was water break, then the kids took to the field. Magnus had practice down to a science; he had to, having to coach himself. The players would take turns playing infield, outfield, and batting. A few would pitch, and he would catch and make calls. On the rare occasion any of the players would get upset, he usually would manage to make them crack a smile and salvage the rest of the practice. Sure, Magnus wasn't the best with kids, but he liked to think he would make at least a halfway decent uncle. Or a weird older brother. Case in point, he was trying his hardest to help the kids have fun. He hoped that he was doing an okay job.  

When it came time for pickup, Magnus brought everyone in for a huddle. "Alright, so this Saturday, I need you all to be here at 10 a.m., okay? Bring your parents, your siblings, your weird neighbors--" The kids giggled before he continued. "We're gonna kick butt! Don't be nervous. Winners on three, ready? One, two, three!"  

"Winners!" The team threw their hands up, some of them tossing gloves and half-empty water bottles as they went.  

"Hey! Pick those up!" Magnus mockingly shouted, eliciting more laughter.  

The team filed out to their parents' cars one by one until only Angus remained. Magnus never knew what to say when this happened; it happened fairly often. Instead, he filled the time with questions about the detective books Angus carried with him, or the work he was doing at school. Angus was an incredibly intelligent child, Magnus could tell. It was a shame that his guardians weren't quite around when they were supposed to be.  

"Hey, Ango? Do you want a ride home?"  

Angus looked down at the clunky flip-phone in his hand. "No, I think my friend is coming to get me."  

Magnus smiled, trying to keep pity from touching his eyes. "I'll wait here with you, then."  

After another fifteen minutes, a too-old sedan rolled into the parking lot. Magnus had never seen the car before, so he walked down to the parking lot with his little leaguer. "Who have we got here, bud?"  

"This is Merle, my friend!"  

The man stepped out from the driver's seat, short and stout and sporting a prosthetic arm. And a pretty sweet beard. But Magnus didn't recognize him, and he didn't exactly trust an old man who a child was calling his "friend."  

"Hi there, you must be Coach Magnus." The man extended his good arm for a handshake. "Merle Highchurch, I'm the youth pastor down at Living Truth Community Church."  

Magnus paused. "The one at the mall?"  

Merle laughed, the sound carrying over the field. "That's the one!"  

"Nice to meet you." Magnus shook the pastor's hand, looking to Angus. "You sure you know this guy?"  

Angus nodded. "Yeah, I go to his youth group every Tuesday!"  

"Can never be too careful, I know. Precious cargo," Merle nodded with an understanding smile. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I'd best be going. Don't wanna be late for the pizza!"  

"Of course. See ya, Angus!" Magnus waved to the boy as they drove off and down the road.  

Magnus went back to the dugout and collected the rest of the equipment and dumped it into the back of his truck. Though he was tired, he told himself that he was going to go to the gym after practice, and so he did. The gym wasn't far from the field anyhow. He flipped through the radio and pulled away after settling on a pop song he knew the words to.  

He was greeted by one of the personal trainers at the desk when he walked in. "Hey, Magnus! Good to see you!"  

"Killian," he smirked. "Is that a little dig about how I haven't been in in a week?"  

She laughed. "Only if you take it that way. My girlfriend's been missing you."  

He suddenly remembered he hadn't answered his personal trainer's (and close friend's) text from a few days ago. "Oh, shit! I have been so busy this week."  

"We figured. No worries." Killian scanned his membership card and handed him a towel. "But she's not in today, so you're on your own today."  

"Instant karma," Magnus sighed. Thanking Killian for her help, he headed for the locker room to put away his things.  

Despite considering himself a strong and athletic person, Magnus didn't know much about training himself besides what he could find on the internet. He had gained a basic knowledge of lifting weights when he had played sports when he was younger. But, he'd enlisted the help of Carey after having been poked and perhaps even chuckled at by a slender gym-goer who was on the treadmill next to him his first few times at the gym. Carey specialized in cross-training and cardio and had been a delight to work with in general. After a while of training together, and getting to know her girlfriend at the desk as well, they'd gone out for beers after the two employees finished their shifts. (Carey had mocked, "y'know, these carbs are undoing all the work we just put in," as she had ordered her own beer, with a wink.) Magnus enjoyed the couple's company, and was glad to call them friends.  

Fatefully, though, was the tall blonde on the treadmill in a crop top and running shorts, chatting easily to his friend next to him as he jogged. Magnus recognized his friend as Barry Bluejeans, one of the children who had commissioned the dining room set for their parents that he'd been working on. Barry waved him over with a smile. 

"Hey Magnus!" Barry greeted him, turning the treadmill down to a walk as he wiped sweat from his brow. "Good to see you!"  

The blonde promptly interjected, "what's shakin', bacon? Cardio today?" He grinned, popping the one earbud he'd had attached to him out of his ear. "Haven't seen you in a while."  

Magnus chuckled, feeling a little self-conscious. "You skip the gym for a week and suddenly you're the prodigal son. It's good to see you too, Barry."  

"As it goes. Hop on, join the party."  

"This is, ah, weird, because I see you here all the time, but I don't actually know your name? I'm sorry." Magnus scratched his head.  

"Quite alright, dude. It's Taako."  

Magnus paused quizzically. "...Taako?"  

"It's my Christian name. Don't think about it too much. I mean, your client here is named 'Bluejeans.'" Taako was explaining this all while running at a pace that would have made Magnus keel over. "Besides, the gym is more fun with friends."  

"You got me there." Magnus climbed onto the treadmill and powered it up to a walking speed. He turned to Barry. "I'm still working away on the dining room set. I made a lot of headway on the chairs today, and it's looking good!"  

Barry smiled. "Thanks. I'm really excited to see it. I'm sure it looks great!" 

The three chatted for a while about day-to-day stuff, nothing particularly exciting. Magnus enjoyed the company. The gym wasn't exactly something he looked forward to, but friendly people made it easier to tolerate. Taako was talkative for someone who was still jogging, and had been jogging for quite some time. Magnus asked, seriously, if he was training for a marathon and only got a laugh and a, "I run for the high, baby!" in response. Barry clarified that Taako was training for a half-marathon.  

Once Magnus got into a running pace, he was all but useless in conversation. Barry had given up on his treadmill endeavor and instead opted for a stretch in the nearby mirror. Taako slowed to a walk, watching Magnus with a bemused smile.  

"You know, you've really improved your form." His heavy-lidded grin intimidated Magnus a little bit. "Spending a lot of time with Carey?"  

That struck a small nerve, though he knew Taako was just kidding. But, it was enough to slow the treadmill back to a walk. "Training, yeah. I mean, I think you know I'm not dating her."  

"Are you dating someone?"  

Magnus stopped the treadmill and toweled his forehead, trying to seem cool and collected. "Are you flirting with me?"  

Taako laughed and stopped his treadmill as well. "Neither here nor there. I just like to know everyone's business, if we're being honest."  

Magnus paused, thinking of Julia despite his better sense. "Well, I mean... no, I'm not _dating_ anyone, but--"  

"But?"  

Magnus sighed, slightly frustrated with Taako's prying attitude, and slightly-knowing smile. He paused, wondering if he should say anything to a gym-goer he hardly knew, but he hadn't told anyone about his crush on his neighboring business-owner and he figured a confessional to someone not even remotely involved would be his safest bet. "I've got a friend I would like to be dating. That's all."  

Taako smirked and clapped Magnus on the back, despite the sweat that stained his grey t-shirt. "You should ask them out, my man. But maybe hit the showers before that."  

"Well yeah, I--"  

Taako was already walking away. "By the way, you're not my type!"  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your sweet feedback so far! It is truly what makes me want to work on this so much!  
> I hope you're liking the AU so far. It's a nice break for me to just think about everyone being fun n flirty friends.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julia takes a break. Magnus makes an important purchase. Kravitz makes a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Thanks for being patient with me. I've got some good stuff planned!  
> As always, let me know what ya think and hit me up on tumblr @maegnus!

The week went on, as it always did for Magnus. The snooze button, the too-much bacon, the goldfish feeding frenzy, the coffee, the morning hello to Julia—who seemed to tilt her head knowingly at the blush that crept up his neck and onto his cheeks when she walked into the shop each morning-- it was all routine. By Friday morning he had made huge strides on the dining room set for Barry's family, and was just about ready to take a break when Julia came bounding through the door, hair blowing in the wind of a pending rainstorm.  

"Hey," she greeted breathlessly. "I'm gonna get some coffee before the rain starts up. Wanna join?"  

He swallowed, then nervously pushed out a smile. "Just about read my mind."  

He followed her across the street and into the coffee shop, where she paced ahead of him in anticipation of the storm. Magnus didn't mind the weather much, but he knew Julia wasn't a fan of getting caught in the rain. _I already come home smelling like wet dog,_ she'd told him one day.  _I don't need to smell like a wet jacket, too._ He scanned the room for Lucretia, and found her at her usual table in the corner, but today she wasn't alone. A tall blonde stood, nearly towering over the writer in her chair, leaning over Lucretia's shoulder with a smirk on her lips. Magnus cocked a brow in their direction, but Lucretia was too distracted with whatever was going on there to even see him across the room. Magnus swore he saw her blushing.  

And come to think of it, had it not been for the pixie cut, that blonde would have looked awfully familiar...  

Magnus' attention was torn away by Julia, who had turned to give the blonde a thumbs up. He knew Julia knew Lucretia, but how did she know the other girl?  

Avi handed Julia their coffees and turned to Magnus, as if she'd read his mind. "That's Lup, from the consignment shop across town. Have you ever been there? Alignments?"  

"Can't say I have. Thanks," he said, taking the coffee. "Does she have a brother?"  

"A twin, yeah. Weird names."  

Magnus laughed. "Taako."  

"Yeah! You know him?" Julia's eyes lit up and Magnus felt himself coming apart. He couldn't unfocus himself from her smile.  

"Kind of. I see him at the gym sometimes."  

Avi caught Magnus' eye as they turned to leave and nodded once with a smile. Magnus didn't have time to acknowledge it before Julia was holding the door open for him. Her dark hair splayed out in the wind; his eyes found her mouth again, her slight smile, her neat lipstick. This was not the first time Magnus had imagined kissing her, but it felt the most vivid. The way he'd put a hand on either side of her face, tucking a windswept strand of hair behind her ear. How her breath would drift over his chin before he kissed her gently, carefully, making sure to delight in every small moment of her lips. He'd seal the knowing smirk against his mouth to his most precious memory, then kiss her again.   

"Magnus?"  

She pulled him from his thought as the door closed behind him. 

  _You should ask her out, my man._ Taako's unsolicited advice echoed in his mind. 

"Are you alright? You seem a little off today."  

He sipped his coffee to avoid answering, then scratched the back of his head. "Oh, I just didn't sleep enough. You know. Just feeling a little spacey."  

Julia put a hand over her mouth and spoke into the hollow space. "Earth to Magnus," she said, unable to finish the static sound of a radio before she giggled. "Sucks that you didn't sleep enough though."  

She touched his arm as she started to walk towards the grooming salon.  

He couldn't find words. He _had_ to ask her out.  

Fuck.  

"Hey, uh..." He watched as she stopped and turned, just as the first few raindrops started to fall. "Thanks for the coffee."  

He could have sworn she looked disappointed, but still, she smiled. "Any time." She turned to continue towards the door, trying to get out of the rain.  

 _Fuck!_ "Hey, wait, uh--" She turned again.  

"Make it quick, Burnsides! I'm trying to avoid the rain here."  

He sighed in mild frustration at himself. "Just-- come by when you're done for the day. I'll be in late."  

"I will. See ya."  

As he walked back into the carpentry shop, he set his coffee down and sighed, long and loud.  

"Fuck."  

He spent the rest of the day working without much focus, which led to a lot more explicatives than were typically uttered in a days' work. He was off his game, distracted by his coffee shop excursion with his friend, who he just happened to enjoy the company of. Immensely. And found her to be incredibly beautiful. That was normal, right? All friends do that.  

He had to ask her on a date. He _had_ to. He couldn't sit with these unresolved feelings and the unknown. Magnus wasn't good with waiting. He was, after all, a man of action.  

He put his hoodie on, pulled the hood up, flipped the front sign to "closed," and headed out into the rain to the one place he could think of going for such an occasion: a flower shop. There was one just a few blocks down the street.  

He walked in, soaked to the bone and shivering slightly despite the warmer nature of the early summer rain. The flower shop was freezing. The lone shopkeeper stood, half-hidden behind a huge arrangement he was working on, only visible by the bobbing of the pile of dreads tied neatly on the back of his head. "How can I help you to--" the young man paused as he peeked over the frames of his glasses to the sight of Magnus. "Did you walk here?"  

Magnus paused. "Uh... yeah."  

"In the rain?"  

"Yeah."  

The florist stepped from behind the counter, wearing an appropriately floral button-down shirt under his black apron, which had "KRAVITZ" embroidered on the breast in pink. "I could make a few bad jokes, but in this business I never assume. Clearly this is urgent—how can I help you?"  

Magnus glanced around at the flowers that seemed to come from every surface of the room. "I... this is kind of lame, I don't know. I'm trying to ask someone out on a date, and I figured flowers are kind of romantic, right? Without going over the top?" 

"Depends on the flowers, but generally, yes." Kravitz wore a pleasant smile as he folded his arms. "Now, tell me about this someone. Do you know what flowers she likes? We could start there."  

Magnus considered this thoughtfully. "She wears a lavender perfume. Is there a flower that means 'hey, we both like dogs'?"  

Kravitz laughed. "Not that I know of, but... I can work with lavender. Hm." Kravitz walked around the counter and into the walk-in cooler to his left, disappearing for a few moments before he returned with a variety of purple, blue, and white flowers for Magnus to pick from. "Now, I will warn you, I generally do funeral work. But, I can put something together for any occasion."  

 Magnus watched intently as the florist twisted each flower he chose into the bouquet until it was full in his hands. They talked about working in town, about the carpentry shop, about how Magnus had never seen Kravitz around before. Kravitz assured him that if he'd been to a funeral in the area, he'd seen his work, at least.  

"Not to be dark," Kravitz had laughed. "It's just where the money is in this business."  

"Maybe I'll go into coffins. We could make a killing." Magnus paused. "...Figuratively?"  

Kravitz's laugh told Magnus he liked that one. 

When the florist finished his work, he placed the bouquet into a vase and handed it to Magnus, who settled the bill at the cash register.  

"Hey, thanks for your help, man. I really appreciate this."  

"Any time. Please let me know how it goes!"  

Magnus was headed for the door already. "I will!"  

"Good luck!" Kravitz called, but Magnus was already out in the rain, running with the bouquet held carefully in his hand.  


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lup aims to impress. Lucretia works on a pet project. Magnus asks an important question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's cha girl, back from the stolen century angst to work on this AU!!! Sorry it took me like 6 weeks!

Lup parked outside of the dog grooming salon and took a deep breath in. She hoped that the cute writer would be in her usual corner today, typing away at her novel as usual. Perhaps today would be the day she would work up the nerve to ask her on a date. Lup usually wasn't the type to feel anxious over flirting; she was an old pro, after all. But, there was something that felt untouchable about the silver-haired girl. Something quiet and unshakable. It made her nervous, and it made her want to know her even more.  

Lup steadied herself and exited the car, turning to the salon to wave a rushed hello to Julia before closing the car door. The window rattled in the frame of the shitty old sedan, in the door painted a matte yellow against the rest of the rusted silver body of the car. She sighed and set out to jog across the street to the coffee shop.  

Peering into the window, she saw her in the back corner, extra illuminated in the yellowish light by the blue glow of her laptop, reflected doubly on her glasses. Lup felt her heart leap into her throat.  

_Ah, fuck,_ she thought.  

She took a deep breath, braving the door like jumping into a frozen lake.  

"Hey, Lup," Avi chirped from behind the counter, rag in hand. "What's--"  

"Give me a minute, my man," Lup said hurriedly as she strode across the coffee shop with purpose.  

The writer didn't look up. She continued typing away intently, even as Lup approached her table.  

"Hey, Manuel Puig, what in the world are you working on?" 

The writer looked up with a spark in her eyes from behind the glasses on the tip of her nose. " _Kiss of the Spider Woman,"_ she said with a smirk. "Are you trying to impress me?"  

"Are you? You're in here every time I am, working on the next Iliad or something. Do you ever take a break?"  

"Do you ever stop driving across town for your coffee?"  

Lup was thrown for yet another curve as the woman in the seat below her quipped just as quickly as she did. She'd been expecting a mousey type, nervous and quiet, but here she was: still quiet, maybe even nervous, but with the sharpest tongue she'd heard in a long time, aside from her brother's. Even she had forgotten that she had seen her around at Alignments before.  

Lup laughed.  _"_ Well, you got me there, dear. Avi makes a soy latte I just can't resist." 

 "Well, to answer your question, I'm working on a novel. A children's novel, actually. It's a pet project of mine." She sighed, reaching for her cup of coffee. "It's been more of a task than I first imagined it would be."  

Lup raised a brow. "Children's novels? Not exactly what I was expecting from you..." She paused for a name. 

"Lucretia."  

"Lucretia," Lup smiled.  

The author leaned forward in her chair, then motioned to the empty seat across from her. "Well, what were you expecting?"  

Lup turned the chair around to straddle the seat. "Oh, I don't know. A thousand-page high fantasy saga about space pirates? A statistics textbook? Some erotic poetry?" Lup laughed at the mild look of horror on Lucretia's face.  

"Statistics? Never."  

Lup cackled, feeling the tremble of butterflies in her stomach as she looked over at Lucretia. "Are you published?"  

"Oh, yes. Under a penname. But I'll never tell."  

"Not even if I ask really nicely?"  

She pursed her lips and shook her head. "Nope."  

"Not even if I take you out for dinner?"  

Lucretia flushed red at the easy way the invitation left Lup's lips. "I.. I'd consider it."  

"Oh, excellent. Do I have to get in touch with your agent?"  

Lucretia chuckled and looked down at her lap, then back up to Lup. "No, that won't be necessary. I'll pencil you in for tomorrow night?"  

"I'll meet you right here at 7." Lup grinned wide, darting up from the table. She turned and called over her shoulder, "see you then, Bukowski!"  

Lucretia laughed to herself, less impressed than before.

"Bukowski? Really?"  

* * *

 

Magnus jittered from his stool behind his desk, looking from the clock, to the stack of orders before him, back to the clock, then to his phone. Julia was usually done by 6, and now it was 6:30, and she still wasn't there. The flowers he'd gotten from Kravtiz's shop earlier in the day sat faithfully on his desk in a vase for safe keeping. He'd never felt so nervous. Below the bench, his leg bounced in place. He tried to return to his work on the order forms before him to no avail. Maybe she'd already left for the day. Maybe she forgot about him. Maybe she was weirded out by his invitation to his shop, just the two of them, alone, after hours, for no other reason than "hey, stop by!" Magnus kicked himself, feeling foolish for even asking.  

He tapped his pencil. Fiddled with a small block and a carving knife. Tapped his fingers. Whistled a tune.  

The bell above the door rang as she entered. "Still here?" She said with a smile. "I was afraid I'd miss you."  

She looked so beautiful, even in her splashed-on, dog hair-covered shirt and her hair falling out of her ponytail.  

"Oh, no, just working on some paperwork. I'm glad you came by." It took all of his focus to keep his voice from wavering. His mouth felt dry. "How was today?"  

"Busy. And a lot of wet dogs." She laughed. "Can't complain, though. What about you?"  

"Still plugging away at this set. I dunno, I haven't been very focused today."  

"Something on your mind?"  

The reassuring smile that tugged at her lips mesmerized him. He wanted to stand up and take her face into his hands and kiss her, desperately. He thumbed the carving in his hand.  

"Not really.." He said, fidgeting.  

She took a step towards the bench and reached out to gingerly thumb a petal of one of the lilies in the vase. "Wow, these are beautiful," she said, before turning her attention back to the woodworker at the desk. "I love lavender, and lilies."  

"They're for you!" He blurted out, then continued with a deep breath: "I... Jules, I, uh, I think you're really cool. And I really, really like spending time with you."  

Julia smiled, and the whole room glowed.  

"And, I, uh... I don't know. I was wondering if you wanted to maybe go out sometime or something? I just think you're really great and you're so pretty and... I don't know. It's stupid, I guess, I just..."  

"I'd like that a lot, Magnus."  

His eyes lit up. "Yeah?"  

"Yeah."  

"Great! Yeah! Cool, cool."  

Julia laughed as he filled the silence. "You know, you didn’t have to buy me flowers. You could have just asked me, I'm not picky."  

He stood up and came around the bench, picking up the vase and leaning across from her on the table that stood, yet to be stained or lacquered. "I know, but I know you like flowers and stuff."  

"I do. They're really beautiful."  

"Juuuuust.... like you?" Magnus grinned at his feeble foray into flirting.  

She giggled with a blush.  

"Where are you taking me out?"  

Magnus reeled a little, wondering how they'd even gotten here so fast. He was fixated on the fine line of her mouth, curled into a perfect smile, cheeks flushed pink on either side.  

"I don't think I'd even gotten that far... Dinner? No, that's lame, uh..."  

She leaned forward and took the flowers from his hands. "Tomorrow at seven?"  

She kissed his cheek.  

"Tomorrow at seven," he confirmed, face red.  

 

 


End file.
